1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an intermediate moisture, highly nutritional baked product, high in protein content, mineral content, and vitamin content, and stable against loss of protein efficiency ratio and vitamin potency and further stable against staling and microbial growth. The product is additionally shelf stable, requires no refrigeration, is low in calories, high in nutrition, low in cholesterol, and low in reducing sugars. The product is baked and then coated with a specified frosting containing vitamins. This invention also relates to the process for producing the aforementioned product.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Intermediate moisture products, i.e., products having a moisture content between about 15 and 45% by weight, have heretofore been shown to be stablized by including therein a sugar or sugar equivalent. Many different types of food products have been produced using this method of stabilization. Among the earlier such products were the pet food products wherein sugar or polyhydric alcohols were used to stabilize meat against deteoriation. Recently, developments have been forthcoming wherein baked products have used polyhydric alcohol for part of the stabilization thereof. These products, however, have all been low in protein efficiency ratio and shown a great deteoriation of protein efficiency after being baked. This is due primarily to the severe conditions necessary for the baking and the reducing sugars present. Furthermore, the products have tended to become rancid or stale within a short period of time regardless of the attempts made for stabilization. No one prior to this invention has found a method for making baked products high in protein content and still avoiding staling. This invention overcomes this problem. In addition to the problem of staleness associated with baked products that are high in moisture content and high in protein content, there has also been a serious problem in having these baked products contain all of the vitamins necessary for a balanced nutritional diet. In other words, many of the vitamins that are necessary in a human diet are oxidized or otherwise rendered impotent due to the temperature conditions necessary for creating a baked product. It has not previously been shown that vitamins could be put in a baked product in a significant amount, i.e., in the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance, without destroying the vitamins. This invention, again, overcomes this problem. In addition to all of the above, no one has yet discovered a highly nutritious vitamin containing shelf stable, baked product which still has excellent texture and taste in addition to its nutritional benefits. In addition, normal baked products utilize wheat starch and gluten as a portion of the wheat flour that is used therein. All such products use at least 10% wheat flour for producing the product. In normal baking, wheat gluten forms a structure and this gluten is denatured during the baking and the structure formed by the starch then gives the structure and texture of the product. The problem with this is that the starch necessary to give the structure and the texture is the constituent of the product that stales and soon makes the product unacceptable. This invention overcomes this problem. Further in addition, all baked products are not shelf stable for a long period of time, they are high in calories due to added sugar, they are low in nutrition as compared to calories, they are rather high in cholesterol due to added fat, and high in reducing sugars to give a browning reaction. The product of this invention uses opposing theories for baking and comes up with an excellent product which is not only shelf stable without refrigeration, but is low in calories in comparison to the high amount of nutrition and is low in cholesterol and low in reducing sugars. This invention overcomes all of the deficiencies of prior known baked products and produces a new and novel baked product which is good tasting and is superior in all respects to everything heretofore known.